Vocabulary

Look up the translation of the following words and word combinations in the dictionary:

1. audition (n) A t the weekends Hayley goes to auditions.

2. awkward (adj) Some lies are designed to avoid unpleasant or awkward truths.

3. beg (v) I was useless at the piano and my teacher begged my parents to stop sending me.

4. can’t help yourself (phr) If you can’t help yourself, you cannot stop doing something.

5. cool sb down (phr v) The pocket fan cools you down when it’s really hot.

6. be designed to (v) Some lies are designed to avoid unpleasant or awkward truths.

7. detrimental (adj) Something that has a detrimental effect has a negative effect.

8. dilemma (n) A dilemma is a difficult problem or situation.

9. do something against one’s will (phr) Hayley’s mum says she is not forcing Hayley to do anything against her will.

10. do/have whatever it takes (phr) Rachel thinks her daughter has what it takes to be a film star.

11. drop sb off (phr v) Ryan didn’t want his friends to see his parents drop him off at the gym.

12. dye (v) If you dye your hair, you change its colour.

13. eyesight (n) Eating carrots improves your eyesight and you’ll be able to see in the dark!

14. fan (n) A pocket fan is a fan that sprays water in your face when it’s hot.

15. follow-up (adj) I hope we can come back in ten years’ time and do a follow-up story when Hayley’s a star.

16. gadget (n) A gadget is a small piece of equipment that does something useful.

17. handle (n) The spider catcher is round with a long handle.

18. head massager (n) The head massager looks like a spider with long legs.

19. ice cube (n) You could describe an iceberg as an enormous ice cube!

20. kick-boxing (n) Kick-boxing is one of the martial arts.

21. light the gas (phr) It’s a plastic gadget used for lighting the gas on the cooker.

22. martial arts (n) Martial arts are sports such as judo or karate.

23. massage (v) If you massage part of your body, you rub it gently.

24. mental discipline (n) Mental discipline is the ability to make yourself do things that are difficult.

25. nutritious (adj) Food that is nutritious is good for you.

26. originate (v) Some white lies originate from the need to encourage children to eat properly.

27. peel (v) If you peel a piece of fruit, you remove the skin on the outside of it.

28. recharge (v) The battery’s low on my phone – I need to recharge it.

29. scary (adj) Something that is scary is frightening.

30. self-confidence (n) Martial arts help you to defend yourself and learn self-confidence.

31. spray (v) The pocket fan sprays water in your face when it’s hot.

32. stainless steel (n) Stainless steel has been treated to prevent rust forming on its surface.

33. straighten one’s hair (phr) If you straighten your hair, you make it straight and not wavy or curly.

34. unblock (v) If you unblock something, you remove something from it so that liquid can flow through it.

35. useless (adj) If you are useless at something, you are not good at it.

36. be worth doing (phr) If a white lie helps a child to eat properly it’s worth telling.

Childhood

1. back off (phr v) Do you think pushy parents should back off and leave their children alone?

2. benefit (v) Psychologists believe many white lies may actually benefit children.

3. bib (n) A bib is a piece of cloth that protects babies’ clothes when they are eating.

4. bring sb up (phr v) Some parents have problems bringing their children up.

5. care for (phr v) Your parents are the people who care for you when you are a child.

6. a child star (n) Being a child star can be an isolating experience.

7. creative (adj) Someone who is creative has a lot of imagination and unusual ideas.

8. curl (v) If you eat your crusts, your hair will curl.

9. deprive sb of a normal childhood (phr) Do you worry that you’re depriving Hayley of a normal childhood?

10. develop language skills (phr) When children develop language skills, they learn to talk, and read and write.

11. dummy (n) A dummy is an object you put in a baby’s mouth to stop it crying.

12. eat up (phr v) Some white lies encourage children to eat up their vegetables.

13. eat your crusts (phr) If you eat your crusts, your hair will curl.

14. educational (adj) Something that is educational helps people to learn.

15. excitement (n) Father Christmas brings fun and excitement to children at Christmas.

16. fall off (phr v) If you’re not careful you’ll fall off that wall.

17. Father Christmas (n) Father Christmas is part of the magic of Christmas for many children.

18. fulfil one’s potential (phr) Hayley’s mum thinks she’s special and wants to help her fulfil her potential.

19. get square eyes (phr) If I think my child’s watched enough television, I tell him he’ll get square eyes.

20. guilty (adj) Should parents feel guilty for not being 100% truthful with their children?

21. isolating (adj) An isolating experience makes you feel as if you are alone.

22. be keen for sb to do sth (phr) Ryan’s mother was keen for him to learn the piano.

23. know when there is something (phr) Mums know when something is wrong even if wrong you don’t tell them.

24. liberal (adj) Liberal parents give their children freedom.

25. lie (v) Parents often lie to their children to encourage them to do things that are good for them.

26. look after (phr v) Who looked after you when your parents were out?

27. myth (n) Some myths were created to improve children’s behaviour.

28. nanny (n) A nanny is someone adults employ to look after their children.

29. naughty (adj) Parents get angry with their children when they are naughty.

30. your nose will grow (phr) Some people say that if you tell a lie, your nose will grow.

31. obsessed (adj) Hayley’s father, George, thinks his wife is obsessed and not reasonable.

32. pillow (n) Parents tell their children that if they put a tooth under their pillow, the tooth fairy will take it.

33. potential (n) A child’s potential is its ability do develop particular skills.

34. pressure (n) I want Hayley to grow up like a normal child – there’s too much pressure in the film world.

35. protect a child’s innocence (phr) Some white lies protect a child’s innocence.

36. pull a face (phr) If you pull a face, you put a silly or rude expression on your face.

37. pushy parent (n) Pushy parents are parents who are very ambitious for their children.

38. see in the dark (phr) Parents sometimes tell their children that eating carrots will help them see in the dark.

39. a stage in life (phr) Some white lies make the world more magical and help children through a stage in their life.

40. stay on the line (phr) If you’re phoning your friends, don’t stay on the line too long.

41. stimulate the brain imagination (phr) If you stimulate a child’s brain or imagination, you help them be more creative.

42. strict (adj) Don’t be too strict – you have to let your children play and have friends.

43. take the easy route (phr) Some parents think it’s wrong to take the easy route and tell a lie.

44. tell a lie (phr) Most parents tell their children lies.

45. tell off (phr v) Mum always told us off when we were naughty.

46. tidy away/up (phr v) Who tidied up after you had played with your toys?

47. tooth fairy (n) The tooth fairy is an imaginary creature who takes children’s teeth from under their pillows.

48. truant (n) A truant is a school student who stays away from school without permission.

49. truthful (adj) If you are 100% truthful with your children, you never tell them lies.

50. tuck smb. in (phr v) Who tucked you in bed at night?

51. white lie (n) White lies can benefit children by protecting them or helping to stimulate their brains.

52. yell (at) (v) If you yell at your children, you shout at them.

Supplementary Reading